- Reaction score
- 1,703
One of the most well-studied marine mammals in the world has been secretly harboring a superpower sixth sense.
Two captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have now proved to researchers at the University of Rostock and Nuremberg Zoo in Germany that they can reliably sense weak electric fields in the water with their long snouts.
The discovery hints at the possibility that some marine mammals really can sniff out the electric currents of small prey buried in the sand. They might even use the skill to sense Earth's magnetic field.
To date, only one other 'true' placental mammal on Earth has been found to possess electroreceptors. Little more than a decade ago, scientists demonstrated that the common Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) evolved its own unique system of electroreception – one that is inherently different to fish, amphibians, and monotremes, like platypuses and echidnas.
www.sciencealert.com
Two captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) have now proved to researchers at the University of Rostock and Nuremberg Zoo in Germany that they can reliably sense weak electric fields in the water with their long snouts.
The discovery hints at the possibility that some marine mammals really can sniff out the electric currents of small prey buried in the sand. They might even use the skill to sense Earth's magnetic field.
To date, only one other 'true' placental mammal on Earth has been found to possess electroreceptors. Little more than a decade ago, scientists demonstrated that the common Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis) evolved its own unique system of electroreception – one that is inherently different to fish, amphibians, and monotremes, like platypuses and echidnas.
Dolphins Reveal a Mysterious Hidden Sense: They Can Detect Electric Fields
One of the most well-studied marine mammals in the world has been secretly harboring a superpower sixth sense.
www.sciencealert.com
